Casing for removably enclosing identifying tags



Sept. 21, 1948.

IDENTIFYING TAG Filed Nov. 25, 1

D032 6'30 fay 26m Jon/114%.?

' D. K. SLOANE CASING FOR REMOVABLY ENCLOSING Patented Sept. 21, 1948 ,CASINGFOR REMOVABLY ENCLO'SING IDENTIFYING recs This invention relates to improvements in casings, for enclosing an article or articles-therein, having an open mouth for the introduction and removal of the articles and provided withflexible means for retaining the mouth in olosedposi tion or to permit removal of the article or articles from the casing upon slackening means. I

*More specifically the invention relates to im provements in casings for metal identification tags such as are compelled to be worn by the members of the Army, Navy, and other branches of the United States service. The tags used by the Army are thin metal plates of rectangular form upon which is inscribed the identifying indicia of the person, usually two of such tags being suspended upon a flexible cord or chain which encircles the neck of the wearer and the ends of which suspension member are connected by a clasp. The conventional tags used by the Navy are of oblong form, but otherwise similar to those worn by the members of the Army. It is very desirable that such tags be so suspended that they will not jangle-when the armed forces are in combat thereby producing a noise which might be heard by the enemy and disclose the position' of the wearer. One of the objects of the invention is to provide a casing which will closely enclose the tags and prevent such jangling. h

It has :been found that where such identification tags are suspendedby a flexible member encircling the neck of the wearer and are worn adjacent the skin that they are likely to chafe the skin and if by chance a corner or edge of the tag is forced against the skin of the wearer, parof. the flexible 4 Claims (Cl. 40-10) the walls is providedwith a window opening having a covering of thin transparent material to permit the face or faces of the tag to be observed therethrou-gh and to provide means adapted'to permit photographs, such as a photo'- graph of the wearer, and/or that of a loved one to be observable through the window.

A further object of the invention is to provi-de a easinig'for identification tags andthe like havingan'open mouth with the suspension mem ber passing through alined apertures adjacent the mouth and medially of the width thereof with a flexible suspension member passing through the apertures and the tag or tags therebetween and around the neckof the wearer adapted to hold the mouth in closed position while suspended and to prevent the removal of articles, such as bills or change, from the casing while thus suspended but to permit removal of such articles without separation-of theattached ends of the suspension member.

These and'other objectsand features of the invention will more fully appear from the following description and theaccompanying drawings and will be particularly pointed out in the claims.

Preferred embodiments of the invention are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which, i

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a casing containing' an identification tag with flexible means for retaining the tag in the casing or permitting reticularly in proximity to the collar-bone, the.

wearer is likely to be cut by the edges of the tag.

A further object of the invention is to. provide a casing of thin soft flexible material so constructed as to prevent such chafing or injury.

A further object of the invention is to providef improvements in casings for removably enclosing an identification tag or tags having a mouthto permit the introduction and withdrawal of the tag or tags with a flexible suspension member passing through apertures adjacent to themouth of the casing and through the tag or tags therebetween operable when the casing is suspended upon the neck of the wearer to retain the mouth in closed position, but upon slackening oftheflexible member to permit the tag or tags to be with-.

drawn for inspection. Another object of the invention is to provide a casing of the character described for identifi}: cation tagsand the like in which one or both of moval of the tag therefrom;

Fig-21's a plan view of a conventional Army identification tag;

Fig. 3 is a vertical mediansectional view of the casing shown in Fig. 1 illustrating the manner in which the tag can be removed for inspection without detachment from the casing;

Fig. 4 is a plan view of a blank from which the identification tag inFig, 1 can be formed;

Fig. 5 is a plan view of aconventional Navy identification tag;

Fig.6 is a viewof' an embodiment ofthe invention for use in holdingphotographs, etc,, and

Fig. 7 is a verticalsectional view on line 'l-l,

Fig. 6.

The casingfor identification tags illustrated in in Figs. 2 or 5 respectively, having marginal edge portions permanentlysecured to ether by a 9011- tinuous line of stitching}, or many other suit-v able manner, leaving an open side or mouth through which the identification tag may be inserted or withdrawn. The walls of the mouth portion desirably are provided with extensions or flaps 6 adapted to be infolded and provided medially, preferably centrally of their width, with apertures 1 adapted to be alined with apertures 8 in the upper median portions of the walls I and 2 respectively. Preferably one or both of the walls I and 2 are provided with window openings 9 material It] is mounted upon the inner side of each of the walls to cover the window openings therein and desirably is secured in place at their lower ends by the lines 4 of stitching crossing the lower corner portions H of the transparent material and secured at their upper ends within the infolded flaps.

The alined openings Land 8 desirably are provided with metal eyelets [2 which secure the marginal portions 6 respectively to the walls I and 2 with the upper ends of the transparent sheets therebetween and also serve to provide means through which a flexible suspension member [3 may pass freely. The suspension member may be a cord, a suitably covered wire, a chain, or any other flexible material adapted to loosely encircle the neck of the wearer and desirably is provided with a clasp adapted detachably to lock the ends of the suspension member firmly together.

The infolded-end portions or flaps 6 present a rounded smooth surface which will not chafe the skin of the wearer and the material of the casing desirably is of leather, leatherette, or other fibrous material which can be worn next to the skin without chafing it and which will protect the wearer from injury which otherwise might result from contact of the edges of the tag with the person of the wearer, the lower end of the tag having rounded corners fully to insure such protection.

The tag 3 is provided adjacent one or both of its ends with a hole 14 adapted to be alined with the eyelets l2 so that the upper end of the tag will not project above the infolded edges of the walls of the casing. r

The cord is inserted through the eyelets l2 and the hole M in the tag therebetween. By reason of this construction tension applied to the cord eitherbefore or by the suspension of the assembled device upon the neck of the wearer will hold the mouth of the casing closed, but upon slackening of the cord the tag can be raised out of the casing to the position illustrated in dotted lines in Fig. 3 for permitting careful inspection of the tag without detaching it from the suspension member.

By reason of the window openings which are covered with transparent material the tag can be observed preferably from either side.

In addition the spaces between the tag-and the walls I and 2 respectively provide means for receiving other articles, for example, a photograph of the wearer may be placed in one side, and a photograph of a loved one on the other side. Furthermore, bills or coins may be placed in such and a sheet or sheets of thin flexible transparent 4 construction the casing is formed preferably of; rectangular sheets [5 and iii of suitable thin flexible material provided respectively with window openings I1 and a thin sheet or pane of trans-- parent material [8 covering the openings. The sheets I5 and it are marginally connected along one end, the bottom and preferably a part of the upper end by a continuous line of stitching [9 which desirably crosses the bottom corners of the sheets or panes of transparent material and secure them against removal.

By reason of this construction the upper edge of the casing provides an open mouth which extends also along the unstitched portion of the end of the casing thereby permitting the corner sheets are respectively provided with alined eyelets 20 and 2| through which a suitable continu-- ous flexible closure member, such as a ribbon or cord, may be inserted to bind them together and. to secure them to a suitable cover or to apertured members of a looseleaf binder, or to rings com-- monly used in such binders. construction a. number of casings can be superposed and releasably bound together in book form and the binding cord or ribbon will serve to retain the walls of the mouth and/or the walls of the mouth and open edge in contact, thereby preventing the removal of the photograph or other article from the casing.

It will be understood that the embodiments of i the invention shown and described herein are of an illustrative character and not restrictive and that various changes in form, construction and arrangement of parts may be made within the V apertures in the complementary walls centrally.

of and adjacent the mouth thereof, an endless flexible suspension member of sufficient length to encircle the neck of the wearer extending through said alined apertures and the hole in the tag therebetween operable when thus as-v sembled and the casing and. tag supported by the flexible suspension member to close and retain said mouth closed but to permit opening of the mouth and withdrawal of the tag therethrough by slackening the suspension member without detaching the suspension member from the casing or from the tag. 7

2. A device for removably enclosing thin rigid identifying tags having a hole centrally of and adjacent one end thereof comprising a casing having complementary front and rear walls of thin soft flexible material of suitable contour.

closely to surround the tag, means permanently By reason of this;

thin rigid uniting the marginal edge portions of the sides and lower ends of said complementary walls but leaving at the upper end an open mouth to permit the introduction and removal of the tag, the upper ends of said walls having infolded flanges providing a smooth mouth edge, alined eyeletted apertures in said walls and flanges centrally of the width of said mouth, and a flexible suspension member of suflicient length to encircle the neck of the wearer extending through said alined eyeletted apertures, and a hole in the tag therebetween operable when thus assembled and the casing and tag supported by the flexible suspension member to close and retain said mouth closed but to permit opening of the mouth and withdrawal of the tag therethrough by slackening the suspension member without detaching the suspension member from the casing or from the tag.

3. A device for removably enclosing thin rigid rectangular identifying tags having a hole centrally of and adjacent one end thereof comprising a casing having complementary rectangular front and rear Walls of thin soft flexible material of suitable contour closely to surround the tag having rounded lower corners to prevent chafing of the skin, lines of stitching permanently uniting the marginal edge portions of the sides and lower ends of said complementary walls but leaving at the upper end an open mouth to permit the introduction and removal of the tag, alined apertures in the complementary walls centrally of and adjacent the mouth thereof, an endless flexible suspension member of sufllcient length to encircle the neck of the wearer extending through said alined apertures and the hole in the tag therebetween operable when thus assembled and the casing and tag supported by the flexible suspension member to close and retain said mouth closed but to permit opening of the mouth and withdrawal of the tag therethrough by slackening the ,suspension member without detaching the suspension member from the casing or from the tag.

4. A device for removably enclosing thin rigid rectangular identifying tags having a hole centrally of and adjacent one end thereof comprising a casing having complementary rectangular front and rear walls of thin soft flexible material of suitable contour closely to surround the tag having rounded lower corners to prevent chafing of the skin, one of said walls being provided with a window opening, a thin sheet of transparent material covering said opening and extending into said rounded corners, a line of stitching connecting the marginal portions of the sides and bottom including the rounded corner portions and the lower end of the transparent material therebetween but leaving a mouth at the upper end of the casing for introduction and withdrawal of the tag, alined apertures in said walls centrally of and adjacent the mouth of the casing, a flexible suspension member of sumcient length to encircle the neck of the wearer extending through said alined apertures and the hole in the tag therebetween operable when thus assembled and the casing and tag supported by the flexible suspension member to close and retain said mouth closed but to permit opening of the mouth and withdrawal of the tag therethrough by slackening the suspension member without detaching the suspension member from the casing or from the tag.

DORIS K. SLOANE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 405,874 Collins June 256, 1889 756,301 Waid Apr. 5, 1904 930,776 Milleson Aug. 10, 1909 1,450,816 Ordung Apr. 3, 1923 1,693,006 Thomas Nov. 27, 1928 1,713,153 Webber May 14, 1929 2,312,204 Weindel Feb. 23, 1943 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 411,405 Great Britain June 7, 1934 

